Why city slickers could be keen to relocate to Gladstone

Tegan Annett has been a journalist at the Gladstone Observer since 2012. She started as a cadet reporter, while studying at CQUniversity. A Tannum Sands resident since 2005, this year she took on the role as deputy editor.

"We have the port, which is the biggest economic driver for the city and region... we wouldn't have half the industry we have without the port authority," he said.

"That's our advantage over everywhere else and that's why we will continue to grow."

Cr Burnett said biofuels was another potential growth industry he wanted Gladstone to be at the centre of..

He said the progression of Northern Oil's Advanced Biofuel Pilot Plant could create more construction jobs, and ongoing employment when the full scale project was built.

"There's lots of things the Gladstone economy can diversify into, we can't just rely on coal and aluminium any more," Cr Burnett said.

He said the timing and size of upgrades to roads and reservoirs was also key to ensuring the region had the infrastructure to service a larger population and in some cases there were upgrade plans ready to action when a population increase was looming.

Social infrastructure such as libraries, entertainment precincts and health services also need to be upgraded, Cr Burnett said.

"We need to start thinking about where we can build the next library and other social services.